Our Top 3 Tips for Last Minute New Hampshire Property Tax Abatement Applications

New Hampshire property tax abatement applications for the 2017 tax year must be submitted to local taxing authorities—like assessors or tax collectors—by March 1, 2018. Still haven’t started? Don’t worry! There’s still time to get your application in on time- and here are our top 3 tips for your last- minute application.

1. Do your best to fill out the application as completely as possibly.

In New Hampshire, property tax abatements must be filed on a standardized application form. The application form is available from the Board of Tax and Land Appeals at their main office in Concord, or online.

Make sure to fill out the application as completely as possible to ensure your application isn’t rejected based on an insufficient application. One area that is often problematic for personal filers is Section E, which requires a statement of the reasons for an abatement. For example, it is insufficient grounds for an abatement to claim “taxes are too high” or that “taxes are disproportionately assessed” without providing additional evidence.

That being said, make sure you only fill out the sections that apply to your application. For example, if you own other property in the same municipality under the same name, make sure to list those properties completely under Section D.

2. Make sure to preserve your rights in your application language.

Since the abatement application is the foundation of any potential appeal from a denied or ignored municipal abatement application, make sure you preserve all your rights in your application language. For example, applicants may be well-advised to state within their application a reservation of right to present additional information in support of the abatement request, including an appraisal, which may consider other approaches to value in addition to those initially stated within the application.

3. Get a delivery confirmation of your application.

By nature, tax abatements are heavily procedural with strict deadlines that must be conformed with. Missing deadlines can mean immediate dismissal or rejection of an abatement application, and the deadlines begin with the March 1 application deadline.

Whether you choose to hand-deliver or use certified or traceable mail, make sure you get a delivery confirmation of your application that affirmatively proves receipt of the application by the municipality on or before March 1. While regular mail is generally reliable, it can be significantly helpful to have confirmation of delivery should your compliance with the application deadline be questioned.

Even though the deadline is close, we strongly encourage you to file a municipal abatement application if you think your property is a qualified candidate for a property tax reduction. For more information on the basics of New Hampshire property tax abatements, click here.